BSE, SCOTLAND AND NATURAL METHODS OF FOOD PRODUCTION

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06 February 2002

Hudghton (Greens/EFA), in writing - BSE undoubtedly triggered a crisis of confidence on the part of consumers and an economic catastrophe in the agriculture and food processing industries. It is in the interests of all concerned to ensure that lessons are learned and sensible measures put in place to eradicate BSE. Such measures must of course be justified by sound scientific data. It seems to me that the 30-month threshold is justifiable, and forecast to succeed in rendering the UK BSE-free within a reasonable timescale. The main lesson to learn from BSE and other recent food scares surely is that we must favour a return to natural methods of food production and feeding of livestock. In Scotland for example, the majority of livestock has historically been grass-fed, resulting in a relatively low incidence of BSE in that country.